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Areruya wins bronze medal at continental championships

Team Rwanda’s top sprinter Joseph Areruya yesterday put up another spectacular performance to claim a bronze medal at the ongoing 2017 African Continental Championships in Luxor, Egypt in the men U23 Individual Time Trial.

Team Rwanda’s top sprinter Joseph Areruya yesterday put up another spectacular performance to claim a bronze medal at the ongoing 2017 African Continental Championships in Luxor, Egypt in the men U23 Individual Time Trial.

This brings to two the total number of medals scooped by the local riders following Tuesday’s bronze that the team won in the men’s elite Team Time Trial courtesy of Valens Ndayisenga, Areruya, Jean Bosco Nsengimana and Samuel Mugisha.

The South-Africa’s UCI continental Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka rider Areruya was competing in the U23 category for the second time after also debuting in Morocco.

Areruya improved on his 2016 debut performance when he finished in the fourth place and scooped his first continental bronze medal after posting 55 minutes and 56 seconds.

South African Stefan Debod finished in the first place to win a gold medal after clocking 53 minutes and 42 seconds while Hebtom Awet, from Eritrea, won a silver medal after finishing in the second place using 54 minutes and five seconds.

The two also scooped silver and bronze medals in the elite’s category after finishing in the second and third places, respectively, in the combined rankings.

Meanwhile, it was a day to forget for the reigning Tour du Rwanda champion and Rwanda’s most decorated cyclist Ndayisenga who finished in the fifth place.

Ndayisenga, who was competing in the elite’s category for the first time, entered the race as reigning U23 champion which he won last year in Casablanca, Morocco.

However, he covered the 43kilometre distance in 55 minutes and 55 seconds settling for a fifth place.

Eritrean Meron Teshome scooped gold in the elite’s category after covering the 43 kilometre in 53 minutes and 16 seconds, while South Africa’s Smit Willem clinched silver medal after finishing in the second-place posting 54 minutes and 24 seconds.

Meanwhile, Jeanne d’ Arc Girubuntu, the only female rider on the team, failed to defend her silver medal in the elite women category after finishing in a disappointing eighth place.